A very tense psychological thriller is about to be added to streaming

This dark thriller makes for a tough but mostly powerful watch.

Coming to NOW on Sunday (1 February) after its cinema release last September, the film begins with Bloom as a retired fighter, who runs a successful gym with his loving wife and trainer, Caitlin (Caitríona Balfe, The Amateur).

Despite everything he has, the former sportsman - known only as 'the Boxer' - is unhappy and longs to return to the ring.

Bloom's character gets an unexpected chance to fulfil this dream when another pugilist set for a title fight dies, and the gym owner is chosen as the deceased's replacement.

There's just one problem: the Boxer needs to lose around 30 pounds in just six days to be allowed to compete.

The Cut Trailer

When this obviously proves to be difficult, Bloom's character is assigned Boz (John Turturro, Severance), a brazen and merciless trainer notorious for using every possible technique to complete his goals, legal or not.

Boz pushes the Boxer to his absolute physical limits. Not only must the fighter constantly exercise and forego food, but Boz also keeps him in hot baths and saunas and gives him drugs as a means to shed any excess liquids.

"We're going to dry you up like a sweet raisin," the unscrupulous trainer says with almost glee at one point.

The Boxer obliges, so consumed with getting another shot at glory.

The more Boz's methods intensify, however, the more it becomes unclear if Bloom's character will survive the gruelling six days.

Directed by Sean Ellis (Anthropoid), those expecting a more typical underdog sports movie may be disappointed with The Cut, where the only time spent in the ring is in its opening scene.

Instead, the film's focus is nearly entirely on the Boxer's increasingly dangerous training and just how far Boz and the fighter are willing to go in order to make weight.

This is as brief flashbacks to Bloom's character's traumatic childhood in Northern Ireland during the Troubles with his mother (Kin's Clare Dunne) also help to explain where the unnamed pugilist's unhealthy compulsions may derive from.

Despite the lack of in-ring action (perhaps the result of a low budget), JOE would argue that The Cut makes for a mostly powerful watch, particularly in its first three-quarters.

This is because of its brilliant trio of central performances (especially Turturro) and the long, intense scenes of Boz and the Boxer in training, which are as intense and grimly fascinating to watch as they are stomach-churning (that is to say, very!).

Indeed, The Cut is not a movie for the faint of heart, with it already earning comparisons to Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan and The Wrestler, on account of its portrait of obsession and self-destruction.

That said, Ellis' film doesn't quite have the knockout ending to match the excellence that came before, sputtering out slightly anti-climactically, which again may have been due to budgetary restraints.

Still, for fans of psychological thrillers or sports movies with a twist, there is plenty to recommend about The Cut.

The Cut will be available to stream from Sunday, 1 February on NOW and Sky Cinema Premiere.

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